Chris Grayling was already having a dreadful day. The shadow home secretary’s speech in the law-and-order debate didn’t electrify the Tory conference and now he’s gaffed in spectacular fashion.

Asked by the BBC what he made of David Cameron’s plan to appoint Gen. Sir Richard Dannatt as a military advisor he completely misheard and thought that it was the government which was making the appointment. This sounded like a political gimmick, he said, adopting an outraged tone. Are there no depths to which Labour will not sink, etc.? ”We’ve seen too many appointments in this government of external people where it’s all been about Gordon Brown’s PR.”

Er… but it was his boss, Cameron, hiring Dannatt? Cue subsequent embarrassed U-turn from Grayling. He had misheard and the appointment of Dannatt by the Tories was a masterstroke, a thoroughly good thing. It was certainly no gimmick. . . .